PIZZA WITH PIZZAZZ

PISTACHIO PESTO PIZZA

I think that it goes without saying that Pizza is one of America's favorite foods.  Some may even call it a comfort food.  In my house, as far as my husband is concerned, it is the food of the Gods sent from the heavens above on angels wings ( I wish I were kidding about this).  He could eat it every single day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and never tire of it.  When we make pizza at home it is serious business.  Truth be told, it is usually my husband who makes the pizza because...well...he is better at it and he just loves it more than I do.

The modern day pizza originated in Naples, Italy and was later brought to the United States by Italian immigrants.  The first pizzeria in the United States was Lombardi's; which opened it's doors in New York City in 1905. Lombardi's is still going strong and is celebrating it's 110th anniversary this year.

The Pizza recipe that my husband, Lance, and I have prepared this evening is one that we fell in love with a few years ago and have been making it at home ever since.  This is not your typical homemade pizza!  Oh no...this pizza is special and ranks in the top 5 of the most delicious pizzas that both Lance and I have ever eaten.  It may sound a little odd to some but you need to trust me on this one...it just works!

Here are the ingredients

Portland Pie Basil Pizza Dough ( made in Portland, ME and available at Hannaford Super Markets), shelled pistachio nuts, basil pesto, mozzarella cheese slices, crushed red pepper flakes, olive oil, the zest of one lemon and salt and cracked black pepper.

First start by giving your pistachio nuts a rough chop until you have broken them down into a dust but still have some good size chunks left as well. 

Next, you (or your sous chef Lance) will roll your dough out into a nice thin oval shape that is big enough to fit into a large sheet pan.

Transfer the dough into a well oiled sheet pan and spread out so the dough is covering the bottom to both sides and all corners of the pan.

Next, spread a thin and even layer of the basil pesto over the middle of the dough leaving about an inch of crust on all sides. Add the zest of one lemon, a couple of pinches of crushed red pepper flakes (optional) and a little bit of sea salt and cracked black pepper to the pesto.

Place the mozzarella slices on top so that it is completely covering the pesto mixture, still leaving about an inch of crust on all sides.  Sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top of the cheese along with a little more lemon zest and drizzle olive oil over the entire pizza.

To Cook, pre-heat your oven to 475 degrees.  Cook the pizza for 5 minutes and then rotate the pan in the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  After 10 minutes of cooking, remove the pizza from the pan and place directly in the center of the wire wrack in the oven for another 3 minutes or so to get a nice crispy crust on the bottom of the pizza. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing.

To serve, slice the pizza into good size squares, drizzle a little more olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

This pizza recipe is the perfect combination of big flavors and great texture!  It is so easy to make but has an incredibly elegant taste with a rustic presentation.  All of these characteristics make this pizza a dish that you can serve in almost any setting.  Lance and I like it best when can enjoy the whole thing by ourselves, but have also enjoyed sharing it with our family and friends and we hope you will as well!

Enjoy!